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In this month's edition...
The Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3) Special Interest Group on Covid-19 met again in June. This meeting was attended by officials from Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) to discuss the progress of regime recovery in prisons, and the programme of prison regime reform. Find the notes here
Clinks gave oral evidence to the Justice Committee as part of its inquiry into women in prison. Jess Mullen, Acting Co-Chief Executive and Director of Influence and Communications, highlighted a range of issues including the need for a whole-prison approach to mental health, the importance of robust screening to identify mental health needs early, and the need for prompt support for mental and physical health needs before people reach crisis point. You can find links to the recording of the evidence session, and the transcript on the Justice Committee website here
Covid-19 restrictions in prisons
Following announcements by the Prime Minister on 12th July and the First Minister of Wales on 14th July, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has confirmed that prisons will continue to make progress in lifting restrictions gradually and safely. Progress in delivering vaccines to people in prisons continues at pace with many already fully vaccinated. The stage of individual adult prisons is reviewed each week and updates are provided on the prison finder pages of the government website. Voluntary organisations can receive regular updates, please contact covid19@clinks.org for more information. Read more here
New Joint Combatting Drugs Unit
Following the publication of the phase two report of Professor Dame Carol Black’s independent review of drugs, the government has announced the establishment of a new Joint Combatting Drugs Unit. This will bring together a number of departments including the Department of Health and Social Care, the Home Office, the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Education, and the Ministry of Justice. The unit will work to tackle drug misuse and recognises that treatment alone is not enough and that support with housing and employment are also essential for recovery. The new Office for Health Promotion will lead efforts to address the cases of preventable deaths and ill health. Read more here
Changing Futures Programme
The government has announced the 15 local areas which will form part of its Changing Futures programme, a £64m cross-government initiative which aims to test a more joined-up, person-centred approach for people facing a combination of issues including homelessness, substance misuse, poor mental health, domestic violence and contact with the criminal justice system. The selected areas will receive funding over three years to improve support for this group. The new programme is informed by, and will sit alongside, the existing Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) Approach and Fulfilling Lives networks. Clinks is a founding member of the MEAM coalition and will continue to work with local areas and coalition partners Homeless Link, Mind and Collective Voice as the Changing Futures programme takes shape. Read more here
HMPPS Covid-19 data
The monthly HMPPS Covid-19 statistics have been published for June 2021. This release shows that there have been no deaths of people in prison, children in custody, and supervised individuals within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test since April 2021. However, there were 51 new confirmed cases in June 2021, of which two were children. This is a reduction of 26% of the number of new cases compared to May 2021. Read more here
Clinks health and justice network meeting
Our next health and justice meeting is coming up in October [19th October, online, free]. Our health and justice network meetings bring together voluntary sector organisations who deliver health services to people in contact with the criminal justice system to discuss health issues and inequalities that affect their service users, and how they deliver their services. The meetings also include updates from Clinks’ policy team, as well as a chance to share updates and concerns. Register here
The future of prison mental health care in England
The Centre for Mental Health has published its report, The future of prison mental health care in England commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement. Clinks is pleased to have submitted evidence and take part in the consultation events that informed the report. The review found examples of good and innovative practice from the NHS and independent and voluntary sector providers, and that the voluntary sector is a significant provider of mental wellbeing. The lived experience contributors found voluntary sector services to be engaging and have less stigma attached than attending a ‘conventional’ mental health service. The report makes a series of recommendations including that all prisons must work to become trauma-informed and the government should take steps to minimise the use of short sentences and remands. Read more here
Professor Dame Carol Black independent review of drugs
Professor Dame Carol Black has published the phase two report of her independent review of drugs. The report concludes that the public provision we currently have for prevention, treatment and recovery is not fit for purpose, and urgently needs repair, and so makes 32 recommendations to improve the current situation. These include the need for major investment into treatment and recovery services, as well as wider support services like employment support, the importance of diversion from the criminal justice system, increasing the use of Community Sentence Treatment Requirement Orders, and improving the continuity of care when people are released from prison. You can read the report in full here, and find our blog summarising the key recommendations here.
Neurodiversity in the criminal justice system
The Secretary of State for Justice, the Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP, commissioned a review into the evidence on how the needs of neurodivergent people are being identified and met within the criminal justice system. Clinks hosted a consultation event with our members to inform the review. There are six recommendations, with the main recommendation calling for a co-ordinated, cross-government approach, with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Home Office, Department of Health and Social Care, Department for Education, and the Welsh Government developing an overarching national strategy with people with personal experience of neurodivergence. The review states that the MoJ should provide an action plan addressing the recommendations within three months, followed by progress updates at six and 12 months. Read more here
Report on the lived experience of neurosiverse people
User Voice has published a report on the lived experience of neurodiverse people in the criminal justice system (CJS), commissioned by HMI Probation as part of the wider review of neurodiversity being carried out by the Ministry of Justice. The report outlines that a significant proportion of people in contact with the CJS are neurodiverse, with estimates suggesting neurodiverse conditions are three times more common in the CJS than in the general population. The report finds that most participants were not assessed or diagnosed with a neurodiverse condition at any stage within the CJS and recommends the need for screening service users for neurodiverse conditions at all stages of the CJS and documents must be provided in person so contents can be explained and follow up support agreed. Read more here
The experience of people impacted by neurodiversity
KeyRing has published a report focusing on the experiences of people who have gone through the criminal justice system and are impacted by neurodiversity. The participants had a range of experiences but all stressed that people need support that is appropriate to their individual needs from the point of arrest through to the end of their probation supervision. The report details the importance of screening for neurodiversity at every stage of the criminal justice system and how having well-trained staff who are able to understand the needs of the person they are working with is essential. HMI Prison, HMI Probation and HMI Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services worked with KeyRing to inform their review of evidence into neurodiversity in the criminal justice system. Read more here
Prisons factfile
The Prison Reform Trust has published its latest Bromley Briefings Prison Factfile which brings together a range of different statistics and data sources on the prison system. This includes information about the impact of Covid-19 on prisons and their regimes, data on self-harm and mental health, the treatment and conditions of older prisoners, data on drug and alcohol use, and information on health and social care. Read more here
How racism in the criminal justice system harms women’s chances of finding work
Working Chance has published a report, Worst-case scenario, which examines how gender and racial inequality in the criminal justice system create poor employment outcomes for racially minoritised women. Based on analysis and the lived experiences of women in the criminal justice system who face multiple intersecting disadvantages, this research paper highlights the barriers faced by racially minoritised women with criminal convictions when they look for jobs. The report details that racially minoritised women are more likely to have poorer mental health due to discrimination, be criminalised when they are victims of crime and receive lower quality support in the criminal justice system. It also provides recommendations for the government and employers to combat employment discrimination on the basis of gender, race, and criminal record. Read more here
7stars Foundation grants
Grants up to £2,500 are available from the 7stars Foundation to support young people challenged by abuse, problematic substance use, those who are young carers, and those who are homeless or without a safe place to call home. Organisations must be registered charities with a turnover of under £1.5 million and be supporting young people aged 16 years and under. Find out more and apply by 31st July here
Barclays’ 100x100 Programme
Barclays is making 50 donations of £100,000 each to UK charities working to support vulnerable people and communities impacted by Covid-19, and to alleviate the associated social and economic hardship caused by the crisis, as part of its Covid-19 community aid package. UK charities, with an annual income of at least £1m, are invited to apply to receive a donation of £100,000 to meet the needs of their communities as they emerge from the pandemic, including: help for people experiencing physical and mental health issues; financial assistance for people facing financial hardship; support for racially minoritised communities disproportionately impacted by the crisis; and enhancing digital accessibility. Find out more and apply by 6th August here
Clinks Stronger Voice Project
Clinks’ Stronger Voice project is a three-year project which aims to help the voluntary sector working in criminal justice develop a unified and influential voice, at both a national and regional level. Earlier this year, we launched our series of expert seminars. These are: Influencing policy: An introduction and Clinks’ approach; Unlock’s landmark challenge to the government’s criminal records disclosure regime; and The role of influencing in Prison Reform Trust’s work. We have also been developing a new policy influencing training programme for voluntary organisations that will launch later this year. Links to recordings of each seminar, alongside a written case study, as well as more information about the project, can all be found in our blog here
Residential women’s centres
The Ministry of Justice’s Hannah Smallshaw has written a blog on behalf of the residential women’s centre (RWC) team, giving an update on the department’s progress with the development and implementation of RWCs. The blog provides a review of the RWC proposals, announced in the Female Offender Strategy, and discusses the centres’ design specification and location. The RWC team is currently in the process of producing a more detailed design specification that will include a set of principles to reflect the RWC’s culture, as recommended by Clinks members. After the initial proposed location sites turned out to be unsuitable, plans are in place to engage with stakeholders in South Wales, and it is hoped new potential sites will be identified over the summer. Read more here
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About Clinks Health and justice bulletin
This regular bulletin provides Clinks members with the latest news for voluntary organisations involved in the health and care of people in the criminal justice system. It currently has 2,428 subscribers.
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